Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Dark Enigma
by JakePenndragon
Summary: When a human turned Pokemon finds out about the Pokemon's hatred towards humans, he sets out on an adventure with his friend to find out why he was sent there. Takes after some more from Gates to Infinity, but will branch out to other more as the story progresses.
1. Chapter 1: A Fugitive With no Crime

_**Chapter 1**_

 _ **A Fugitive with no Crime**_

I ran through the mountain pass, fear gripping to the very fiber of my being. Panting, I slipped into a cave to conceal myself. I could hear the barking of those hounds outside. Persistent things, they chased me through several miles of uneven terrain and yet they still seem to be right on my tail. I sighed, letting loose all of my tension in hopes of catching even a moment's rest. But, alas, it wasn't meant to be. All of my tension came rushing back the moment I felt something touch my back. I jumped and turned to face my would-be attacker, only to find my longtime friend behind me.

"You didn't have to follow me," I said, speaking softly so to not alert the beasts lurking outside.

"You know you're hopeless without me," he said, smiling. I could see his fangs poking out, betraying his animalistic qualities. It's only been a month since that fateful day, the day I came to this world. But, I'm used to seeing strange creatures as if I had seen them all my life. Pokemon, beings with special powers that seem to solely exist within this world. Being a human, I thought these creatures were mere myth, yet here I am being best friends with an Oshawott by the name of Oliver.

"Well, if you're with me then they'll take you out too!" I explained, "I don't know why you still care, knowing what I am…"

"Please," Oliver shot back, "I don't care what you are, that doesn't change the fact that we're friends!"

I returned the smile, "You're a good guy Oliver, you know that!"

"Aw, stop embarrassing me like that," The otter Pokemon said, scratching the back of his head.

"Hey! I think I hear voices!" came a gruff shout, "Let's check over here!"

"I guess you're in it for the long haul, Oliver!" I exclaimed, "Let's go!"

I grabbed his paw and made a dash towards the dark cave. A sudden dizziness fell upon me and I knew instantly that we had made a mistake coming here. The pathway behind us had suddenly turned into a wall. Looking around, I found that eerily familiar look of finely carved stone. This was a Mystery Dungeon.

"Well, at least we'll be safe for now," Oliver stated as he plopped onto the dungeon floor.

"Yeah? Once we get through though, we'll have to be on extra special guard," I warned.

"Don't be such a worrywart, this is a cave dungeon," Oliver pointed out, "Some rock and ground types are no match to a Snivy such as yourself!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," I remarked.

"How could you possibly forget that?" Oliver fumed.

"Easy, I've only been a Pokemon for a month," I recalled. It was strange, being in this strange new land gave me a strange new body to go along with it, not to mention how I can't even remember my human life. My life had completely turned upside down. Luckily, I had found a friend in Oliver. Oliver was the kind of guy who was always there for his friends regardless of circumstance. I mean, he followed me all the way here even after he found out I was a human.

"Maxwell!" Oliver called, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I responded.

"We need to go now," Oliver explained.

"Who says?" I asked.

"This guy!" Oliver shouted, running away from the hallway to reveal a Graveler and he wasn't happy.

"Oh come on!" I joked, "He's just a Ground/Rock type!"

"Then you take him!" Oliver said as he stepped aside.

"Gladly!" I announced as I stepped up to attack him. The Graveler stood at least two feet taller than me. Most Pokemon would flee in terror at the sight of such a formidable foe, but I know better. Being a grass type, I'm usually at a disadvantage to most types, but to a rock _and_ ground type, I'm ready to take him down.

I made the first move. Doing a backflip, I readied my attack. My tail glowed with a green aura, **Slam**! My attack connected, causing massive damage. The Graveler cringed, but my victory was short-lived as he immediately went into a counterattack. Stomping on the ground, he caused a minor tremor, however it was no Earthquake. Realizing this a little too late, I was beset upon by a massive barrage of rocks.

"Rock slide!" Oliver shouted, shocked, "Are you okay?"

"'Twas nothing," I spat, rubbing the blood off of my mouth, "Besides, this sucker's gonna pay me back!"

I focused, causing the same green aura to surround the Graveler. Then, by some unseen force, the aura was forcibly pulled from the rocky behemoth. The aura then attached itself to me, causing my wounds to simply evaporate.

"Whoa, Giga Drain!" Oliver exclaimed from the sidelines, "You finally learned it!"

"Hey!" I called, "Maybe you can, I dunno, help?"

"Oh sorry!" Oliver apologized, "Aqua Tail!"

Oliver's tail was surrounded by water as he spun into the enemy, finishing it off.

"Seems to me that you've grown some too!" I complimented.

"So you've noticed!" Oliver grinned, "It's no surprise though, we've been travelling through rough terrain,"

"Well, the easiest way to throw off would-be pursuers," I explained.

"Apparently not these pursuers," Oliver frowned.

"Let's keep moving," I said, "We don't wanna spend too long in here,"

I took a good look around the room, there were two other exits leaving out. The exit the Graveler came out of seemed like as good a place as any to start exploring. In a Mystery Dungeon, it can be hard to find ones way out again. No one truly knows where the exit is because the exit is random every time. It's part of the special power this world has, or so I'm told.

The hallway continued for several feet with several twists and turns. After a long trek, I was relieved to see the stairs in the room.

"That was a little too easy," Oliver stated, "But I'm glad we've found them!"

"Hey, don't be too hasty," I retorted, "There might be more floors,"

"I just have a good feeling about this one," Oliver smiled.

"Don't get your hopes up," I said as I moved towards the gracious escape route. As I touched the top stair, a strange feeling came over me as it felt like I burst into a million pieces and rushed to who knows where. In truth, we were just transported further into the dungeon. Greeted by another clean-cut room, I turned to Oliver.

"Ugh, I'll never get over that," I said, heaving.

"Man, another floor!" the Oshawott complained.

"Told you," I managed through heaving, "At least it's not all bad, it has been awhile since I've last been in a dungeon. It's good practice!"

"Are you okay?" Oliver said, looking over me with his classic concerned gaze.

"I'm fine," I said, finally managing to fully stand, "I'm only like this for the first floor, the rest is easy!"

"If you say so…" the Sea Otter Pokemon said, still not fully convinced.

I led the two of us out of the room, taking yet another random hallway. This one led to another room, but this one was full of sleeping Pokemon.

I turned to Oliver and made an attempt to put only one of my fingers up to my mouth, "Shhh!" I warned.

Oliver nodded in understanding as we tiptoed through the room. It felt like an eternity just to get halfway through the room. Sadly, we didn't get much farther than that.

"Oh no!" Oliver whispered. I turned to look, he accidently stepped on a Whismur.

"Please don't," I muttered, but it didn't listen as it rang out in its earsplitting cries.

"Uproar!" Oliver tried to shout over the din that quickly awoke the nearby Pokemon.

"I feel like we warped straight into a Monster House!" I joked, "Cover my back, I'll try to make us a path!"

"Right!" Oliver shouted as the onslaught began. I aimed towards a Graveler and used a trusty Leaf Blade. Meanwhile, Oliver used Water Pulse to instantly knock out the Whismur he so clumsily awoke. The rest of the enemy Pokemon charged us with reckless abandon. Blow after blow battered away at our small bodies. I had to think of something quick. Rummaging through the bag we used, I found an item that just might help us.

I pulled out a small, blue, crystal orb and smashed it into the ground causing it to shatter. Light emanated from the impact, flowing into the two of us.

"We've got one minute!" I announced, "Run!"

The enemies' attacks effortlessly passed through us now. Oliver looked around curiously at the sight.

"There's no time!" I shouted as I grabbed his paw and ran as fast as we could towards the next hallway, running through another room, turning right, and ending up running up the next set of stairs.

"Wha-What was that?" Oliver panted, trying to catch his breath.

"Hah, hah, an All, hah, Protect Orb," I explained, "Picked one up at the Kecleon Mart a couple weeks before all this! Lucky find, huh?"

"You're darn right it is!" Oliver exclaimed, "We'dve been toast if you hadn't used that!"

"Yeah, there were just too many of 'em!" I said as I tossed him an Oran Berry, "Here!"

He caught it and ate it heartily, "Thanks!"

"No prob!" I elated as I nibbled on my own Oran Berry, enjoying its unique flavor.

"So, another floor, huh?" Oliver asked gazing about yet another room.

"Seems that way," I answered, "But at least the stairs are in this room!"

"Great," Oliver voiced, "Are we ever going to be out of here?"

"Oh, come on!" I elated, "We've faced longer dungeons than this!"

"I know, but I kinda wanna get outta here quickly so we won't get ambushed," he pouted.

"Hey, you could've stayed home!" I pointed out, "You didn't have to be dragged into my problems!"

"But I'd just worry too much there," he said.

"I guess you're right," I noted, "The least you can do is stop complaining!"

"Okay," Oliver sighed, "Let's go!"

"That's the spirit!" I elated as we walked up the next flight of stairs. As we reached the top, we were greeted with a blinding light from the setting sun. Letting the rays hit my scales, I used the sun to increase my power. As a grass type, the sun has become my friend in battle. It's a welcoming breath of fresh air with the grim atmosphere.

"You know you look weird when you do that," Oliver said as he neared.

"Huh?" I sounded, not truly paying attention.

"Never mind," he smiled, "Let's just get out of here before-"

"Hey! I see someone up ahead!" A voice called as if on cue.

I sighed, "Here we go…"

A large, black figure crept from the dark cave exit. Even when the light hit the beast, the shadows around it seemed to cloak it in the darkness it commands. This Mightyena is well named; its mere presence is enough to send chills up and down my spine. It would be bad enough if he were alone, however I had noticed three other shapes crawled close behind. Though smaller, the three Poochyena exuded their own dark aura.

"Human!" The Mightyena barked, "In the name of the Pokemon Rescue and Exploration Federation, I hereby arrest you and your associate!"

"Bold words," I decried, "I can't go peacefully when I've committed no crime,"

"With humans, there need not a crime!" Mightyena spat, "Your resistance shall prove to be most amusing,"

The mighty wolf-like Pokemon let out an ethereal howl, causing his comrades to do so in unison. This strategy I knew well, it is used quite commonly among this species of Pokemon. Used in conjunction with their Intimidate ability, Howl puts our team at a major disadvantage.

The pack of wild Pokemon proceeded to circle us, using their intimidation in an attempt to slip us up. Their leader walked straight towards me and looked me straight in the eyes. His eyes began to glow, causing me step back. A purple ring of dark energies surrounded me and slowly began to act as chains.

"Embargo," I noted, hiding my fear, "It seems you know your stuff!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, fugitive," The Mightyena growled, "Brothers! The time has come to strike!"

The Poochyena immediately pounced us. One went for a Fire Fang, another went for an Ice Fang, and finally one went for a Thunder Fang. Each of them went for their respective targets. The Thunder Fang went for Oliver; the other two went for me.

"Argh!" I screamed as the fire and ice did its damage. Blood trickled from the burn wound, causing me to grab it with my right hand.

I looked for an opening. Assessing the situation, I found my opening and went straight for their leader. Prepping a Slam attack, I ran at him at full force. Sadly, he anticipated this as his glowing gaze hit me once again. This time, however, I was immediately filled with a strange strength.

"Swagger?!" I cried, losing my composure.

"Hmph, you're not as dumb as I made you out to be," the wolf scoffed, "But there's no way you can deal with us now!"

"Well, there is one thing you didn't plan on!" I began, "For starters, let's just see how my attack will go, shall we?"

I may have been confused from that attack, but my advance gave me just the opportunity I needed as I Slammed into the nearest target. I heard a Poochyena whimper as I did so, letting me know I had done my job.

"Impossible!" Mightyena raged, "You couldn't have possibly been able to attack anyone in a state like that!"

"True," I mused, "Under normal circumstances, the chances of me hitting any of you would've been slim. But I know by how I moved, you all surrounded me. Meaning my attacks chances of hitting went up to about fifty percent!"

"Rrgh!" Mightyena growled, "How could you have possibly been able to outsmart me?"

"I dunno," I mused, "My question is how you are this dumb,"

"Aqua Tail!" Oliver shouted. I couldn't see what he was doing, but I did know his efforts did major damage.

"I can't believe you focused all your efforts on me!" I chuckled.

The Mightyena growled once again as he shouted, "Brothers! Together now!"

Pain instantly filled my entire body. The four of them seemed to rush me. I seemed to have reached my limit. Vision fading, I had to do so something before they got me. Luckily, the four of them seemed to have knocked some sense into me.

"Heh, I finally found out who you are," I managed, "I can't believe I got to fight the Brothers of the Fang!"

It only took a moment of concentration as I let loose my Giga Drain attack. Instantly, my vision cleared and all of them dropped to the ground in defeat.

"Wow!" Oliver elated, "How'd you do that?"

"Overgrow," I explained, "My ability increases my grass-type power,"

"No," Oliver corrected, "I know Overgrow boosts your power. What I was wondering is how you knocked out all four of them with a single Giga Drain,"

I gazed across the battlefield and realized that he was right. All of them fell to my one attack.

"That is strange," I noted, "But we can't worry about that now!"

"Why not?" Oliver asked.

"If we don't get out of here soon, they'll just ambush us again," I replied, "Let's go!"

"Right," Oliver complied.

We travelled well into the night over rough, mountainous terrain. It was a tough hike and being injured doesn't help things much.

"We should find a place to set up camp!" Oliver called from ahead, he wasn't injured as much.

"Good idea!" I replied, "Scout ahead to find a defensible spot, I'll stay here and recover, the Embargo should have worn off by now!"

"Okay!" He said as he disappeared from view.

I immediately sat down and opened my bag. That battle was really rough; who knows what would have happened if I pulled that move at the end. I grabbed an Oran Berry and nibbled on it as I continued my musings.

What was that anyway? I know a move like Giga Drain can only affect one Pokemon. Even with Overgrow, I should've only knocked out Mightyena. I guess I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Finishing off my Oran Berry, I reached for another one. Normally, only one would be enough. But having that rough of a battle at my experience level means two Oran Berries is a must.

"Hey, I found one!" Oliver called, revealing himself.

"Good, I was getting worried," I said, studying him carefully.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked curiously.

"Just checking something," I said, making special note of his ribbon, "You know how Ditto and Zoroark can look like other Pokemon,"

"Yeah, and?" Oliver questioned.

"Well, I was checking if it was your Lucky Ribbon," I answered, "Here,"

I tossed him another Oran Berry.

"Thanks!" he elated.

"Your welcome," I smiled, "Lead on!"

He turned around and motioned for me to follow. He led me to a large niche in the rock wall.

"As long as we don't light a fire, we should be safe here for the night!" Oliver explained.

"Nice work!" I complimented, immediately lying down.

"Shouldn't we set up beds?" Oliver asked.

"We need to be back on the road again quickly, if we set up beds, we'd have to take them down again. We'd be sitting Duckletts!"

"I guess you're right…" Oliver sighed, "Good night,"

"Sleep tight," I mumbled as I drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Clinging to the Edge

It was blurry, but somehow I could decipher it. It was cold, so cold that I could see my own breath. I was trudging onward in a cold, icy cavern. I looked behind me to find Oliver gasping for breath. He insisted he was fine, but his pained expression told me otherwise. I had to focus on what lied ahead. I couldn't see all that lay in front of me, yet still, I pushed on. The path kept getting harder to see until finally, my vision faded entirely.  
Small rays of sunlight awoke me from my strange slumber. I opened my eyes and found that I was in a cave. It slowly came back to me: my crime for existing, as well as my current place in the world. I couldn't believe it, just a few days ago I was still learning about this strange new land. But now, it seems everything I learned was for naught.  
I tried sitting up, but was surprised to find that pain suddenly surged through my body. I fell back down, filling my tiny body with even more pain.  
"Ooooowww," I moaned. That battle must have taken a larger toll than I had thought. I reached down to where my wound was. I was met with some bandages, bloody bandages. What happened last night? I mean, we had that fight with the Brothers of the Fang and those two got me really good. But I shouldn't be this badly wounded after eating those Oran Berries.  
"Oliver?" I called. No response.  
"Oliver!?" I called again, the cave echoed my calls back to me, but still no response.  
I painfully tried to get up again. I managed to get into a sitting position, but I refused to try to get up entirely. I gazed around the cave Oliver found us. It wasn't all that big, but it was hidden enough to shake off at least amateur pursuers. The silence was broken by a drip from a nearby stalactite into a small basin of water. Glancing around the room once again, I found Oliver to be missing. I don't think he would ditch me. Knowing him, he's probably looking for something to help me. I don't really get it. Despite everything that's happened, he still considers me a "Friend"  
I shook my head. I know he finds friends through who they are and not what they are. I've proved time and time again that I'm an individual worth trusting. Sure, I'm a loose cannon in battle and in dungeons. But I still care deeply about others, a quality Oliver respects above all else.  
I took another yet another look around the seemingly barren cavern. Within moments I had found our traveler's bag. Oliver had purchased it for our first real adventure at the Kecleon Market. He found it to be fairly cheap for the craftsman work on it. It was sturdy, meant for years of hard travel. I grabbed it to examine its contents. Inside, I had found that all of our current traveling items remained intact. We still had three Oran Berries in there, along with a fairly large amount of rocks. Gravelrocks, as they are called, don't do all that much damage. But I've found that despite that, they can easily be thrown when negative status effects prevent me from moving. I had once dealt the final blow to an enemy that made me cringe from a biting attack that way.  
I smiled at that memory. Continuing to index our bag, I found a Blast Seed, along with two Reviver Seeds.  
"This should last us until we get to a Deposit Box," I mused as I continued my methodical rummaging. Nearing the bottom of the bag I managed to pull out two Max Elixirs as well as...  
"Aha! I knew we weren't bringing our A Game!" I elated as I pulled out two pieces of what looks like, to the untrained eye, pieces of cloth. I immediately tied the longer one around my neck, letting the loose bits dangle off the sides.  
"I still wonder why I never take this off," I wondered aloud. My Coalition Scarf has always been my good luck charm. Always giving us the edge in combat with a well-timed team attack.  
"Hey! You shouldn't be up yet!" Came a sudden shout from the cave mouth. I jumped to my feet from the shock, only to yelp in pain and sit again.  
"Oh, sorry!" It was Oliver, "How is it?"  
"Bleeding!" I said, gritting my fangs.  
"You were tossing and turning all night, scraping your wounds against the cave floor," Oliver explained as he began to remove the bloody rags clinging to my injury, "I never realized how heavy a sleeper you are, I'd honestly wake up from the pain alone,"  
"Ugh! Whatever those Poochyena did, it's really gonna set us back a while!" I hissed as Oliver tended to my wounds.  
"Well you get a pass for not knowing, but that's how it is outside of Mystery Dungeons," Oliver stated, "Pokemon battles were very dangerous, resulting in severe injuries and even death,"  
"So what you're saying is that Pokemon were a lot more cutthroat before these Mystery Dungeons appeared?" I asked.  
"Usually Pokemon have battles in Mystery Dungeons nowadays," Oliver continued, "But injuries can't be healed so easily outside of a dungeon,"  
"But the Oran Berry fixed me right up last night," I moaned.  
"Oran Berries can only heal so much. You also reopened your wounds in your sleep. Now brace yourself, this is going to sting," Oliver warned as he placed a strange salve directly onto my wound.  
"Owwww!" I screamed, "Where'd you get the first aid kit anyway? I searched the entire bag and didn't see it,"  
"I took it with me," Oliver explained as he began to rebandage me, "We were out of herbs, so I had to pick some more. We'll have to buy more bandages after this too. If and when we get to a town,"  
"Or if they even welcome us in," I added.  
Oliver gave me a light pat on the back, "There! I finished. We'll have to find a better place to rest to get that fully healed,"  
"Well, for now, we have to make do," I said, carefully attempting to stand, "If we stay here much longer, we'd most assuredly get caught,"  
"Are you sure you're up for it?" Oliver asked concernedly.  
"No," I said curtly, "But we'd be in this cave for a while if we stayed until I was,"  
"Alright then..." Oliver said dismissively, "Let's go!"  
"That's the spirit!" I elated as I took the lead.  
It was painful to walk, but I couldn't wait any longer. The Brothers of the Fang would be after us if we don't hurry, along with any other bounty hunter willing to take a stab at shortening my life. The terrain ahead really didn't help out either, it was even rockier and hard to traverse than before. Maybe it was just the pain, but the slopes certainly were steeper than before. It was hours before the scenery even changed in the tiniest way. After a particularly steep and tall hill, the terrain flattened out, plateauing in a lush, green meadow.  
Turning back, I gazed upon the rocky wasteland and smiled. I felt a bit accomplished, traveling such a long way just to find a way to get away from it all.  
"Maxwell! Take a look at this!" Oliver called.  
I turned to look and was shocked to find a village in the distance  
"That's not on the map..." I noted as I walked to his side.  
"Maybe they don't know!" Oliver speculated.  
"Yeah, probably best if we avoid it," I warned.  
"Don't be such a worrywart, come on!" Oliver said, "We can stay in the shadows if you're that worried,"  
"Fine!" I caved in, "I would like to find out why they aren't on the map anyway,"  
We began our short jaunt light-heartedly. It was clear that this place was out of the way. If Oliver was right, we could have real beds to rest upon as well as a place to restock.  
Nobody seemed to notice our approach, so we decided to be as inconspicuous as possible. I scanned the signs of the businesses as we passed, hoping to find an inn. After a while, I noticed that nothing was clearly labeled except for the General Store. Or, moreover, The General store stuck out just as it did in Post Town.  
"Man, Kecleons sure do like to advertise their presence," I noted aloud.  
Oliver smiled, "At least we know where they are!"  
"Yeah, we can avoid them quite easily then," I said, gazing at the stand with minor discontent.  
"What's wrong with the Kecleon Mart?" Oliver wondered.  
"Well, one day the Kecleon told me that their business chain also collects information across the board." I explained, "You were busy that day, so I did the shopping so that you wouldn't have to worry,"  
"So you're saying that if he sees us, we're probably dead meat?" Oliver questioned.  
"Well, yeah," I answered, "Maybe we can ask one of the other locals,"  
I hailed a passing Kangaskhan and she approached quite generously.  
"What can I do for you two travelers?" she asked.  
"Well," I began, but I was immediately flush with embarrassment. I didn't normally hail random strangers, but I did this without even thinking.  
"Oh, you poor thing!" She shouted suddenly, "You seem to be badly injured! Let me take you to my inn so that you can rest up!"  
"You run an inn?" I asked sheepishly. "Of course!" she stated matter-of-factly, "The Kangaskhan Inn and Tavern, home of the best Oran Juice in all of Unave!"  
"The best!" Came a voice from her pouch as a baby Kangaskhan popped her little head out of it.  
"Unave?" I asked.  
"Where do you hail from traveler?" Kangaskhan questioned as she began to lead us to her inn.  
"He comes from out of the region," Oliver said quickly, "He's a very well versed traveler and tends to wander to many distant lands. We started traveling together only this past month!"  
"Oh really?" Kangaskhan mused, "That sounds exciting! We don't get many travelers here. The last time someone from outside the village came here, it was several months ago," I breathed a mental sigh of relief from that statement. I didn't have to probe deep to learn how isolated this village truly was.  
"I didn't know there were still villages like this," Oliver stated, "I mean, this place isn't even on our map!"  
"Well, I hope our little corner village can be as hospitable as any other town!" Kangaskhan told us.  
It wasn't long before she brought us before a humble, wooden building. It was a little dusty but inviting.  
"Come in, come in," Kangaskhan offered, "We don't have much, but I'm sure we can get you all rested up!"  
She walked into an open doorway and gestured to follow. Inside, there were several empty tables scattered across the room. Each was decorated with a small, wax candle. There weren't lit right now, but the day was nearly just beginning. Near the back of the room, a bar stood proudly as the centerpiece of this room and even further behind that, a fireplace rested for the winter.  
Sitting at the bar, two Pokemon already sat. One of them was presumed to be an Emolga, the other, a Dunsparce.  
"Emolga! Dunsparce!" Kangaskhan called, "To what do I owe the pleasure, boys?"  
"Oran Juice," came a curt reply from the Emolga.  
"A 'hello' would've been nice," Kangaskhan huffed.  
"Sorry, Mrs. Kangaskhan," The Dunsparce apologized, "Emolga's just having a rough day," "Well, you two need to be careful!" Kangaskhan scolded, "If I hear you started another fight, I'll have to kick you out!"  
"They started it," Emolga blamed, "Talking all big sayin' 'Oh you couldn't make it through a dungeon full of Rattata' and laughed. You don't mess with me!"  
"Honestly, you know they only try to get under your fur," Kangaskhan said in an attempt to calm Emolga down.  
Emolga glanced over at us as if just noticing us, "What happened to you?" This Emolga was certainly battle-hardened, his face showed signs of scarring from severe wounds. The most noticeable thing about him had to be his eye patch.  
"Oi! I asked you a question!" Emolga barked. "Hiking accident," I promptly lied, it left a nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I wasn't about to blow my cover.  
"Must not be that much of a traveler then," the squirrel sneered.  
"Yeah and you must be one lousy fighter," I challenged, letting pride get the best of me.  
"Why you little-"  
"Not in my inn you're not!" Kangaskhan interrupted.  
"Seems like everyone's had a rough day," I said, "Sorry, sometimes my words get the best of me. It won't happen again, ma'am,"  
"You don't seem the type," Kangaskhan noted, "Now sit, I insist!"  
We sat at least two seats away from the Emolga and Dunsparce. I've just got the weirdest vibe from them.  
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" the Emolga piped up.  
"I don't believe I've met any Emolga's..." I mumbled.  
He gave me a weird stare before saying, "Yeah, you're probably right. I would never associate with a Snivy,"  
I let the subject drop, I didn't want to escalate things any further than they already were.  
"Here," Kangaskhan said, handing me a glass filled with a thick, blue liquid, "It'll work wonders for you, trust me!"  
"How much is it?" I asked, eying the beverage.  
"On the house, I insist!" she said, pushing the glass closer.  
"You sure?" I asked. She nodded with a smile. I shrugged and took a big gulp as she handed everyone else a glass.  
"How come this stranger gets freebies?" Emolga yelled, obviously peeved at the situation.  
"Can't you see he's hurt?" Kangaskhan stated crossly.  
"I'm hurt too!" he bellowed.  
"You're bruised on a daily basis," Kangaskhan countered.  
"Oh yeah, well-"  
"Emolga, please!" Dunsparce urged from the sidelines.  
Emolga turned to him, then to Kangaskhan before looking defeated, "I guess that's true..."  
"Seems like they're all good friends!" Oliver chimed.  
"Huh?" I said, waking from a half daze, "How do you figure?"  
"Well, really close friends can be comfortable to banter like that," Oliver replied.  
"That's banter?" I asked, confused.  
"Well, it's one way of putting it," Oliver stated.  
"Pokemon are weird..." I mumbled to myself.  
"So, how is it?" came Kangaskhan's voice.  
"I thought you were taking care of 'Rowdy' over there," I said, pointing with the closest thing I could get to my thumb.  
She looked confused for a moment before chuckling a little, "Oh, Emolga? That's normal for him, you don't have to worry,"  
"Okay, then it's pretty good!" I complimented, "They don't make this stuff where I come from, so I haven't had enough to determine the quality. But it's still quite flavorful."  
"Well, I'm glad you liked it!" She smiled, "Now, I'll be showing you to you're room for the night, It's going to be five poke for one of you to stay and that includes breakfast,"  
"Of course," I muttered, "You still have to run a business after all,"  
I turned to Oliver who just smiled and said, "Don't worry about me, I'll scope out the town and join you later tonight,"  
"Right!" I said, returning the smile, "See you tomorrow!"  
After Oliver left, Kangaskhan led me to a small, well-kept room. It was sparsely decorated, save for a straw bed, a table, and a window to the back. Though, despite its simple appearance, it still felt like a place one might call home.  
"Now, if you need anything, come give a holler!" Kangaskhan explained, "I'll be sure to have you feel right at home, you hear?"  
I nodded as she took her leave. Finally, I have a long-awaited break. I carefully laid down upon the straw bed and stared at the austere ceiling. Sighing, I took a moment to collect myself. It's only been a month and yet I almost take this world for granted. In some ways, it's almost exact to our own, but in some distant past. I feel like I walked into a medieval fantasy that involves these fantastic creatures known as "Pokemon". It's strange though, I was a big fan back in the human world. It was practically my life. Now I really am living it. It's been such a ride, one adventure after the other.  
I never really had the chance to think about my situation, especially since I became an "Outlaw" to them. I'm not even sure why. It's not like I did anything wrong, quite the contrary actually. Ever since I came here I helped one Pokemon after another, especially Oliver. But everything changed when I encountered... her.  
Just thinking about it gives me the shivers. Her cold, icy glare stared as if no life existed beyond those pools that revealed the soul. It looked almost as if a part of her died long, long ago. Virizion was known to be a champion of the Pokemon, protecting them whenever possible. The legendary specimen held great power. The moment those eyes locked with mine, she looked right past my physical form. She knew right away and called me out on it. Everyone that I had once known to be a friend immediately turned on me. I had no choice but to run right out of Post Town and as far as I could. Now here I lay, in a foreign village on the edge of nowhere. Funny how fate works that way.  
I yawned, it was strange to think that I was even tired. I was only up for a few hours and it wasn't even noon. I guess my injury needs me to have a good rest. "I'll think more the next time I get the chance," I thought to myself before my vision faded to the land of dreams.


End file.
